What's the longest someone went without eating?

382 days Angus Barbieri (1939 – 7 September 1990) was a Scottish man who fasted for 382 days, from June 1965 to July 1966. He lived on tea, coffee, soda water, and vitamins while living at home in Tayport, Scotland, and frequently visiting Maryfield Hospital for medical evaluation.

en.wikipedia.org - Angus Barbieri's fast - Wikipedia

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Scottish faster (1939–1990)

Angus Barbieri (1939 – 7 September 1990) was a Scottish man who fasted for 382 days, from June 1965 to July 1966. He lived on tea, coffee, soda water, and vitamins while living at home in Tayport, Scotland, and frequently visiting Maryfield Hospital for medical evaluation. He lost 276 pounds (125 kg) and set a record for the length of a fast.[1]

The fast [ edit ]

In 1965, Barbieri, then a 27-year-old from Tayport, Scotland, checked into the Maryfield Hospital in Dundee. Initially only a short fast was planned, due to the doctors believing that short fasts were preferable to longer ones. Barbieri did not believe them, insisting on continuing because "he adapted so well and was eager to reach his 'ideal' weight".[1]: 203 [2] For 382 days (1 year, 17 days) ending on 11 July 1966, he consumed only vitamins, electrolytes, an unspecified amount of yeast (a source of all essential amino acids) and zero-calorie beverages such as tea, coffee, and sparkling water, although he occasionally consumed small amounts of milk and/or sugar with the beverages, especially during the final weeks of the fast. He quit working at his father's fish and chip shop, which closed down during the fast. Barbieri's starting weight was recorded at 456 pounds (207 kg) and he stopped fasting when he reached his goal weight of 180 pounds (82 kg). He lost weight at an average of 327 g (12 oz) per day, or 10 kg (22 lb) per month.

Later life [ edit ]

After his weight loss, he moved to Warwick and had two sons.

Barbieri died in September 1990.[2]

Record [ edit ]

In the 1971 edition of The Guinness Book of Records, Barbieri's 382-day fast was recognized as the longest recorded.[1]: 203 [2] In 1973, Dennis Galer Goodwin went on a hunger strike for 385 days, but he was force-fed during this period. As of 2016 , Barbieri retains the record for the longest fast without solid food, according to Guinness officials. Guinness no longer officially endorses records relating to fasting for fear of encouraging unsafe behaviour.[2][3]

How long can a fat person survive without food?

Your body can meet the majority of your calorie requirements from stored fat, but total starvation is fatal in 8-12 weeks, regardless of initial body weight.

sciencefocus.com - Who would die first of starvation – a fat or a thin person?

Asked by: Annie Martoni, by email

Within one or two days of your last meal, your body will have exhausted all the glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. Most of your energy requirements will be met by breaking down stored fat into ketones, but brain cells and red blood cells can't metabolise ketones, so their glucose requirements must be met by breaking down muscle. Even if you have lots of body fat left to burn, you can still starve to death if you don't have enough muscle because vital muscles like the heart will have been weakened to the point where they stop working. For this reason, doctors normally consider 40 to 50 per cent weight loss as life-threatening, regardless of your initial body weight. Total starvation is normally fatal in eight to 12 weeks. In less extreme cases, however, where you are still receiving some calories - particularly if these calories include a high proportion of protein - being fat will help you survive much longer, because your body will be able to meet the majority of your calorie requirements from stored fat. Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.

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